'Deck the halls with boughs of holly” ….and in this case intravenous drips, stethoscopes, bandages and blood tests.

But in the end it all comes together for a Christmas celebration in the children's ward at Tauranga Hospital. Illness, pain and prognosis are put conveniently aside for a party and presents.

Some children will be in hospital this Christmas.

Even the jolly fat man drops by.

After all, as the song goes - 'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la”.

The corridors of the children's ward is festooned with bright, flashing lights, sparkly decorations and things Christmasy. Nurses wear green and red wigs, Santa's young helpers sport wings.

It looks more like a fairy grotto than a place where little people are put back together again, where children fight back from the brink, where serious medicine is conducted, where families of sick children draw comfort.

Luke Faitl, 22-months-old, is struggling with the concept of Christmas.

He's distracted by the air ambulance soaring from the heliport below the children's ward. His gaze is fixed until the chopper is a dot on the horizon. Everyone is hopeful - Luke is one blood test away from going home for Christmas, his leg swathed in bandages from a nasty infection.

Tauranga Hospital's a family affair at the moment – Luke's been in residence for a week, Dad Petr is being Mum and Dad, and downstairs actual mum Dr Deborah Moore is fixing people coming into A and E.

'This hospital is brilliant” says dad Petr. He's Czech, mum's English, they all lived in Canada and came to Tauranga because they preferred it. It seems they checked out the rest of the world before choosing us.

All the time the children's ward keeps ticking – nurses and doctors quietly and efficiently busy themselves. Care and medicine is a noble discipline that does not stop.

SunLive would like thank the doctors, nurses, parents and patients of Tauranga Hospital's Children Ward for the invite to share the moment. It was a privilege and it was fun.